This is just a rough draft for a neew political party I'm thinking about. It's unfinished but any comments welcome.

California Grizzly Party (CGP) Platform - Rough Draft

Mission Statement

The goal of the GCP is to consolidate the people of California into a cohesive voting bloc, uniting diverse perspectives throughout California to elect party members to State and Federal offices so that we may adequately address the many problems our State and Nation face while undermining the two national parties whose agenda"s are no longer in sync with the People. California should once again be considered a model of governance for the Nation to follow.

The CGP will be a left leaning party that recognizes the importance of Government (absent a functional market) to provide vital services to the People such as universal healthcare and education. We respect the right of the entrepreneur and private property, but we must also recognize the contribution of those who work to fulfill the economic goals of their employer. To quote the silent film Metropolis (1927): "Between the mind that plans and the hands that build there must be a Mediator, and this must be the heart." The CGP seeks to represent that mediator to avoid class conflict and ensure those who suffer most in our society receive the help they need while promoting business and economic growth.

Issues

The California Constitution

To put it bluntly the California Constitution is a mess. The fecklessness of our elected officials and the mob influenced use of the Proposition/Initiative system have turned the Constitution into a lengthy and redundant document. A Constitution should be a skeletal framework from which laws can be derived, not as we see today in which many of its amendments take the form of laws in of themselves that cannot be repealed in a reasonable fashion. With this in mind the CGP supports a Constitutional Convention for the State of California; this not only allows our State a clean slate but gives the Party an opportunity to imbed its ideas into State Government.

Capitalism vs Socialism

To the CGP there is no necessary conflict between these two concepts. There is no such thing as a truly Free Market, and regulation will always exist to check the excesses of those who hold economic power. Capitalism represents a great ox, socialism is the yoke that harnesses wealth creation to ensure all those who engage in business play by the rules and those who do not have the resources necessary to participate in the Market have what they need to survive in hopes that having access to the fundamental necessities of a functional citizen (Health, education and safety) will grant economic opportunity to the less fortunate so they may give back what has been given to them.

LGBT+

The CGP fully supports protections of LGBT+ members against discrimination in terms of housing, employment, access to medical care and marriage/adoption. In terms of religious freedom to refuse service to LGBT+ members we must respect the right of the business owner and understand that the power of the market works both ways, we may also refuse to do business with those with discriminatory practices. One possible policy option would be to have those with discriminatory practices publicly advertise which groups they refuse to do business with.

Undocumented Immigration

California must recognize the important economic impact the undocumented provide in terms of low cost agricultural labor and taxation. The American dream has always included immigrants. We must support a system that stream lines the naturalization process to allow these people to come forward as either economic migrants or prospective citizens of the US. This is not an endorsement of illegal immigration or amnesty; merely recognition that the current system is broken leaving many good people in limbo and violent criminals free to return to the US. English must be respected as the lingua franca of the US. We must aspire to that regardless of race or national lineage we are all American who seek the betterment of our society.

Water Rights

This is more California based issue but its importance reflects a philosophy the CGP should observe. "Use it or lose it laws" encourage waste. And in times of prosperity we must prepare for drought.

Taxation

We support a progressive income tax. Perhaps there can be compromise in terms of eliminating sales taxes or tweaking capital gains and property taxes. We should seek to simplify the tax codes and cut through bureaucracy that hinders business growth while ensuring the Government has the proper funding for its various social programs. [Issue needs more research/input]

Anti-Corruption

As a rejection of the two major parties anti-corruption laws and policy must be paramount; for it is a representation of the party"s integrity and mission to change how politics is done in both Sacramento and Washington DC. Whistle-blower protection laws, anti-regulatory capture measures, and the creation of an independent anti-corruption department whose function will be to investigate government officials are example of policy.

Prison Industrial Complex and the War on Drugs

Criminal Justice is objectively a responsibility of the State. The outsourcing of this responsibility to private prisons is abhorrent and turns criminality into an industrial necessity and promotes collusion between Government and business at the expense of human dignity. Non-Violent drug users swell our prisons. In the pursuit of Justice we must seek measures that promote rehabilitation and reintegration instead revenge. The CGP does not consider drugs use to be a criminal act and many drugs today should be rescheduled or fully legalized. The fact that Colorado, Washington and Alaska are leading the way on marijuana policy should be considered an embarrassment to the people of California.

Energy Policy

We should seek clean energy such as solar, hydro and wind. Nuclear should be considered once it is figured out how to safely dispose of the nuclear waste. The extraction of oil, coal and natural gas from the earth has caused major environmental damage in terms of spills, earthquakes and increase in CO2 emissions fueling global climate change. The transition from "clean" to "dirty" energy sources should be done in a way that minimizes the negative economic impact it will have on states and countries that heavily rely on the production of "dirty" sources to avoid economic collapse. [When oil loses its values the Middle East will become majorly unstable, as if it wasn't already]. Energy independence using renewable is a matter of national security.

"The annoying kid has a point. Let's revolt in this bitch!" - The Boondocks